Improvement in brick-machines



3 Sheets-Sheet 1. T. B. GRAYOROFT.

Brick-Machine.

No. 215,886. 7 Patented May 27,1879.

Witnesses, iianeutor Winnie NFETERS, PHOTO-LITHOQWAPHER, WASHINGTON. D,C.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 T. B. 'ORAYOROPT.

Brick-Machine.

No; 215,886. Patented May 27,1879.

- Fig.8.

'Wiiaesses, 7 531mm;

N.PETERS, PHOTO-Ll HQGHAFH WASHINGTOI. n 64 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

T. B. CRAYGROFT.

Brick-Maohin.

No. 215,886. Patented May 27,1879.

Iglj L I Q 1 m 'm/ i I): M

" .N' if ,PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPNER, WASHINGTON, D c,

-rying the brick-molds under the press.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIE.

THOMAS B. ORAYGBOFT, OF SALEM, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN BRICK-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 215,886, dated May 27,1879; application filed February 7, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS B. ORAYGROFT, of Salem, Marion county, Stateof Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBrick-Machines; and I hereby declare the same to be fully, clearly, andexactly described as follows, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figures 1 and 2 are front and side elevations of thedevice, Figs. 3 and 4, top and bottom plans of the same; and Fig. 5, avertical sectional view.

This invention has reference to that class of brick-machines for formingbricks of soft clay of a consistency but slightly greater than that ofthe clay used in making bricks by hand; and it consists in a machineconstructed as hereinafter described, and possessing points of noveltyindicated in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, A is the clay-box, having a centralvertical shaft, a, stepped on its bottom, and carrying above the box amain gear-wheel, B, which meshes with wheels I) b b on the sides of thebox. 7 The wheel Zr carries upon its shaft a crank, O, which actuatesthe plunger 0 of the brickpress.

A collar, 0, on the end of the rod 0 embraces the rod D, which isattached to the press-plate d. The rod D is provided with studs (1 d,serving, respectively, as bearings for the collar 0 in actuating thepress.- As these studs are farther apart than the thickness of thecollar, a slight lost motion ensues, whereby the press-plate is allowedto remain on the mold, and not commence its return stroke until the moldis carried away, thereby preventing any possible withdrawal of clay bythe plate.

On the front of the press-box E is secured a rubber, 0, which is made towipe over the face of the mold as it passes thereunder. The secondwheel, b, actuates the mechanism for car- It also carries a crank, O,which engages with the upper end of the lever F, the lower end of thelever actuating a crank, f, on the shaft f, which latter carries cranksG G under the machine. (See Fig. 3.) The cranks G Gr are attached bymeans of rods 9 g to a cross-bar, H, which propels the molds.

opposite ends of the links.

In order tov effect a quick return stroke of the lever F, a cord, 9, isattached to its upper end, and is led over a pulley, h, a weight, h,being secured to the end. oted to a link, I, that, in turn, is pivotedto a second link, i, and the latter to a third link, i. To the frame J,which is slotted for the insertion of the lever, is attached a lever, j,

carrying a weight, 9', which lever rests upon a bearing at the hingebetween the links 6 This bearing is slightly above the plane of the Theobject of the described construction is as follows: While the knee-jointconnection described suffices to hold the lever to its legitimate work,it yields without breakage to any undue strain, the joint simplybuckling upward and returning as the obstacle is removed.

Upon the opposite side of the machine a construction almost identical isused, except that the lever K is slotted for the crank-pin 70, carriedby the wheel I), so that the lever has positive motion in bothdirections. The crank L, driven by the lever K, is mounted on a shaft,1, that carries cranks M M, which drive the plunger m for filling thepress. This latter reciprocates between the bottom N of the clay-box anda false bottom, N, the former being cut away, as shown in dotted lines,to allow the clay to fall on the latter and in front of the plunger.

The shaft a carries the usual inclined blades a for mixing and drivingthe clay downward. O is a supporting-rack for the molds P, which fitsnugly under the press-box, which latter is provided with a number ofopenings corresponding to the spaces of the mold.

From the foregoing description of the construction of the device itsmode of operation will have been made evident. The wheel B being set inmotion, the wheels I) b I) actuate, respectively, the pressingmechanism, the device for feeding the molds to the press, an d theplunger for delivering clay to the press. The molds are successively fedin by hand through the aperture 0, and are carried forward under thepress-box by the bar H.

As adjuncts of the machine, a flange, Q, to prevent access of clay tothe gearing, is mounted on the wheel 13, and a drum, R, carrying a ropeor chain, r, is pivoted on an axis The lever is piv-.

above the beam S. This device is used for drawing the clay-cars to themachine when such are used. A ratchet-and-pawl attachment, 8, is used toadmit of the drum being caused to rotate or not, at pleasure.

I am aware that it is not .new to adapt a part of a machine to yieldunder undue strain, as mechanism designed to attain that end hasheretofore been embodied in machines of various kinds; and I am alsoaware that in brickmachines the actuating-levers have been constructedin two parts, hinged together and held by a spring. Such I therefore donot claim.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is

1. In a brick-press, the actuating levers thereof, having their pivotsrigidly held during the legitimate and normal working of the I machine,but adapted to yield under undue strain, and automatically return as theobstacle is removed, as described.

2. In a brick-machine, the actuating parts thereof, pivoted to aknee-joint connection, adapted to yield under undue strain, as setforth.

3. In combination with the levers, the pivoted links 13 c" and weightedrods j, as set forth.

4. In combination with the clay-box A, having a double bottom, thereciprocating plunger and actuating-lever, adapted to yield as unduestrain is brought upon it, all constructed as set forth.

5. In combination with the wheel B, the gears b I) b, actuating,respectively, in the manner set forth, the pressing, mold-delivering,and clay-feeding mechanism, substantially as described.

6. In combination with the clay-box, the wheel B, having circumferentialflange, and drum It, provided with ratchet and pawl, as set forth.

7. In combination with the levers, the pivoted links i i, having theircentral pivot above the plane of the others, and the Weighted rod zj, asset forth.

THOMAS B. ORAYOROFT.

v Witnesses: H. .O. FELTMAN,

JOHN B. KAGG.

